Gifts, Books, and Reviews – College Parent Central

Book Review: A High School Parent’s Guide to College Success

March 22, 2018March 17, 2018 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. We’ve offered some recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. See the Recommended Reading section of our Resources page for more suggestions.

A High School Parent’s Guide to College Success by Amy Baldwin and Brian Tietje should be on every parent’s reading list at the time their student starts high school. It takes time to get a student ready for college and this book guides parents through the process. Don’t wait until your student is ready to head to college.

In the race to college that the high school years have become, it is easy for parents to become overwhelmed and not know where to start or how to fit in. We like that this book presents twelve essentials for parents to focus on. No overwhelm here. Twelve skills for parents to help their students develop. Twelve skills that will prepare a student to start college on the right foot and then keep him headed in the right direction.

Book Review: Your Freshman Is Off to College

December 7, 2017December 7, 2017 by Vicki Nelson

There is a lot to like about Laurie Hazard and Stephanie Carter’s Your Baby Freshman Is Off to College. Written for parents as a month-by-month guide to the first year of college, the book clearly reflects the expertise and experience of the authors’ day-to-day interactions with first-year college students.

‘Tis the Season! 18 Holiday Gifts for Your College Student – 2017

November 20, 2017November 30, 2017 by Vicki Nelson

It’s that time of year again. Black Friday. Small Business Saturday. Cyber Monday. We’re thinking about family and friends and we’re thinking about gifts. If you have a college student, or an about-to-be college student, you may be searching for some ideas for useful or fun gifts.

You know your student best, and can tap into interests and needs, but we’d like to offer some suggestions that may stimulate your imagination. We have some new suggestions for 2017, but we’ve offered some suggestions in the past. Don’t stop with this post! Check out our category Gifts, Books, and Reviews for nearly 75 additional suggestions.

Check out our ideas, and then let your own creativity take over! If you have additional suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments!

Book Review – What To Do When You’re New

September 14, 2017November 24, 2017 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

What to Do When You’re New: How to Be Comfortable, Confident, and Successful in New Situations is a book for parents and students alike. We initially decided to review this book as something for parents to pass along to their students – as they begin college or move on to career. However, we quickly discovered this is a useful book for parents as well.

As the author points out, we are all newcomers as various times in various settings. Dr. Rollag’s information and tips will be helpful to everyone. We suggest you give a copy to your student, and keep a copy for yourself as well. Read it together and talk about it.

According to the author, “the secret to newcomer success is no secret at all. It mostly comes down to our willingness and ability to do five key things: 1) Introduce ourselves to strangers, 2) Learn and remember names, 3) Ask questions, 4) Seek out and start new relationships, 5) Perform new things in front of others.” After an early overview, the Dr. Rollag proceeds in Part 2 to devote a chapter to each of these skills.

Book Review: Freshman Year of Life

August 24, 2017November 24, 2017 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

Freshman Year of Life: Essays that Tell the Truth About Work, Home, and Life After College is an easy-to-read volume of essays that students about to graduate from college or recently graduated from college will find helpful. The fact that each essay is presented by a different author means that readers hear many voices. Students will like the brevity and personal nature of the essays. The stories feel real.

Many books have been written for students as they transition to the college years, but less is available for students who are about to enter the world beyond college. Equating the first year(s) out of school to freshman year of college is a wonderful analogy. How to navigate careers, bosses, friendships and real world skills, is information young adults need – and they need to hear from others who have also struggled to figure it all out.

Book Review – Generation Z Goes to College

July 21, 2017November 24, 2017 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

Generation Z Goes to College (order directly from Amazon) was written with a focus toward higher education professionals, but should be read by parents of these students as well. As parents, we know our students intimately as individuals, but we don’t often think about the overview of the entire generation to which they belong. Generation Z Goes to College helps parents see their students in the context of their generation.

Generation Z, as defined in this book, includes those students born between 1995 and 2010. So these are the students now entering college.

Book Review – Out to Sea: A Parents’ Survival Guide to the Freshman Voyage

February 23, 2017March 15, 2017 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

Out to Sea: A Parents’ Survival Guide to the Freshman Voyage by Kelly Radi is an easy-to-read, helpful book for parents about to send their child off to college. Radi uses the metaphor of a ship setting sail to help parents understand, and become more comfortable with, the process of helping their child start out, and succeed, in college.

Part One of the book, Preparing to Set Sail, is a good reminder to parents that any good voyage requires preparation. We like the practical advice that Radi provides, as well as her ability to help parents grapple with defining their own role. The “helicopter parent” quiz in chapter 2 is particularly telling, and takes this often overused term and defines what it looks like in students’ and parents’ real life. Parents can find out early how much of their own work they may need to do to help launch their child. What follows is great practical advice on everything from money discussions, what to pack, and how to think about getting around campus.

Parents: Top Ten Books to Read – Or to Gift

December 12, 2016March 17, 2017 by Vicki Nelson

Parenting is hard work. Those of us who have been parents for a while know how difficult it can be. And as parents, we sometimes seek advice from the “experts,” whether those experts are our friends, our own parents, our medical providers, or sometimes those who make it their business to work with and study parents.

We all need a little advice – and a little perspective.

Here’s a list of our top ten picks of good reads for parents as they think about their teenage, college age, or young adult. But the key is that it helps to start thinking and building the foundation early. Some of the experts tell us that our parenting style when our children are very young can influence how they function and cope as young adults.

We’ve reviewed all of these books and we think they can provide parents with guidance – or at least plenty of food for thought. If you’re already a college parent, it’s not too late! But if you have younger children, use these to get a head start. If you know someone with younger children, consider one (or more) of these as gifts to give them a head start.

Read our reviews. Pick one or two or three. Read them. Share them. Form a book club. Start conversations.

‘Tis the Season – Holiday Gifts for Your College Student – 2016

November 28, 2016March 16, 2017 by Vicki Nelson

You know your student best, and can tap into interests and needs, but we’d like to offer some suggestions that may stimulate your imagination. We have some new suggestions for 2016, but we’ve offered some suggestions in the past. Don’t stop with this post! Check out our earlier posts for additional suggestions – most are timeless and still good ideas.

Check out our ideas, and then let your own creativity take over!

Book Review: The Gift of Failure

November 18, 2016March 17, 2017 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

The Gift of Failure, by Jessica Lahey, is an important book, not only for parents of college-aged students, but to parents with younger children as well. This book highlights an essential, and often missing, element of today’s childhood – failure. As the title suggests, allowing our children – whether they are toddlers or college students – to fail, as painful as that may be for us, can be one of the best gifts we can give them.

Lahey acknowledges that as students get older, the stakes get higher, and it becomes more difficult to watch them struggle and potentially fail at college essays, college courses, and job interviews. The earlier the work can begin, the better. But it is never too late. It is difficult and sometimes frightening work for parents, but it is necessary.